I can't believe I complain about this, but I do: as a Spotify user, many times I don't fire up the service because of the mental power required to choose what to listen to. Paralyzed by choice, I am. Or was, because today Spotify added a new Discover page to its Web player that helps you find new music. (The company says the Discover page is gradually being rolled out to its desktop and mobile apps.)

On the Discover page, you'll find recommendations based on the music you listen to and the artists and friends you follow. … Read more

Remember when Google demoed the Racer game at Google I/O a few weeks back? Well, apparently Racer was just the beginning of showing interactive games using nothing more than Chrome.

As you can see from this Google+ post, Google has released yet another Chrome game. This time it comes in the form of the arcade classic of Skee-Ball, with the game being called Roll It.

Instead of relying on only mobile devices as the Racer game did, Roll It requires you to have a computer and mobile device, both with Chrome installed.

The mobile device, be it an Android … Read more

Sure, you could mess with Photoshop and its Background Eraser Tool to remove a background from a photo, but what if you don't own a copy of pricey Photoshop? I do own a copy of it but have never mastered it and don't like to use it. I don't even like waiting for it to load. For the Photoshop-less and Photoshop-averse, Web app Clipping Magic is worth a gander.

After navigating your way to Clipping Magic, you can simply drag and drop an image on the site or select a photo via the Choose File button. With … Read more

If you use Evernote to organize your life, then your life just got more organized. Evernote updated its iOS, Mac, and Web apps to include reminders, which is "one of the most requested features of all time," said Andrew Sinkov, Evernote's VP of marketing.

I updated Evernote on my Mac and iPhone to try out reminders. On the Mac app, you'll see a small alarm clock icon in the upper-right corner when viewing your notes. Click on it to set a reminder. You can then add a date for the reminder. Evernote provides a button for … Read more

Setting up a two-step verification (or authentication, depending on the site) service is more or less an imperative when it comes to keeping your online information secure. Services such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, Apple, Dropbox and more have rolled out two-step verification in one form or another.

During the setup process for these services, you are required to provide a phone number where you'll have the option to receive a six-digit code that is required to grant you access to your account. But, as a recent Forbes article pointed out, phones get lost, which can in turn lock you … Read more

Do you keep the receipts for everything you buy? Like me, you've probably noticed that the ones printed on thermal paper can begin to disappear over time. Soon, you're left with only a blank piece of paper that can't act as a proof of purchase or help you at tax time.

Wednesday's update to Google Drive on Android lets you easily store all of your receipts and even search through them. Doesn't a nice digital archive sound better than piles, folders, or boxes of receipts all over your home? Here's how to … Read more

Going a week without a major brand having its Twitter account compromised was starting to become a rare occurrence. Critics and users alike repeatedly called upon Twitter to release two-factor (or step) authentication. The added layer of security requires you to enter your password, and then a subsequent six-digit access anytime you try to log into Twitter. The short code is sent via text message to your cell phone, which means that any would-be hackers would need to not only crack your password, but to also have physical possession of your cell phone.

Twitter, on Wednesday, finally rolled out its … Read more

Google released Hangouts last week as a standalone app for iOS, Android, and the desktop via a Chrome extension. In addition to the apps, you can also use Hangouts from within Gmail, just like the old Google Talk.

To enable Hangouts in Gmail, click on your profile photo from the Google Talk chat list, then select Try the new Hangouts. Hangouts will immediately replace Talk, then walk you through a very brief introduction to Hangouts.

Keep in mind that it may not have rolled out to you yet, so if you don't have the Hangouts option in your Gmail … Read more

For years PayPal has cornered the market on sending money to friends, family members, and businesses. Last week during the chaos of Google I/O announcements, Google took a first step toward giving PayPal a run for its money by making it possible to send money via Gmail. The feature is set to roll out to all users over the coming weeks, but if you know someone who currently has it, that person can send you money (a penny works) and after you've claimed the funds the new feature will be enabled on your account as well.

The service, … Read more